


Anger Management

by K___Kelly



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bad Parent Thoreau Lionett, Beauregard Lionett & Caleb Widogast Friendship, Beauregard Lionett Has Issues, Beauregard Lionett is a Mess, Empire Kids, Gen, Mighty Nein as Family, focus on Caleb and Beau the others appear briefly I almost feel bad tagging them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-29
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:35:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22457320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K___Kelly/pseuds/K___Kelly
Summary: Beau tries to find a place on campus to let off some steam...things go awry
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & Caleb Widogast
Kudos: 73





	Anger Management

Caleb opens one eye just enough to glance at his phone which is ringing and flashing a familiar name _Beauregard_.

“Uh hello?”

“So yeah here’s the thing I might be at the campus security building and I might need someone to come and give a character testimony so that they don’t call the actual police or press charges or keep me here overnight…”

There’s a long pause.

“Sooo if you could come down and tell them that I’m usually a mentally stable person I’d really appreciate it.”

“Beauregard what happened exactly?”

“It’s stupid…it doesn’t matter…”

“Well if I’m going to be lying to campus security at…”

He pulls the phone away from his ear long enough to glance at the time _3am scheisse._

“…Three o’clock in the morning then I at least want to know why.”

“Ugghhh I promise to explain shit later just get me the fuck out of here…please.”

He rubs his hand roughly across his face in a feeble attempt to properly rouse himself. He responds with a deep exasperated sigh.

“I am coming Beauregard.”

As quickly as he can in his half-conscious state he fumbles about for his boots and house keys. If it was a more decent hour he would turn on the light, but Nott is most definitely still asleep, and he would hate to wake her. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes to gather what he needs, check and double check that the door is locked behind him, unchain his bike and somewhat begrudgingly make his way towards the campus security building in the dead of night. He and Nott live off-campus on the sketchy side of town, cheaper rent and less nosy neighbors. Usually he doesn’t mind the fifteen minute bike ride to and from campus but tonight with the knowledge that security is located on the side of campus furthest away from the apartment, tonight he wishes he’d accepted Jester and Molly’s invitation to share a room with them on campus they had included Nott in the invitation, but he had refused making an excuse about funds which was true but mostly he did not want to end up becoming a burden to them. A particular sharp dip in the sidewalk refocuses him on the task at hand, saving Beau from whatever stupid mess she got herself into this time. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honestly she held out longer than anyone else would have given her credit for, but a voicemail from her father threatening her scholarship was more than enough to send her over the edge. Most people probably wouldn’t consider what she did to be a punishable offense, but it might have had something to do with the fact that she was already a known troublemaker (All the freshmen know where to go if they want good wine and they’re willing to pay up big time) and it definitely didn't help that she was found hooded and cursing at two in the morning. Not a good scenario when you put it all together, so even though there is probably nothing in the official school guidelines that forbids wandering around blowing off steam at unholy hours it sort of makes sense why campus security brought her in. And now she’s stuck under careful watch sitting in one of those god-awful plastic waiting room chairs that seem specially made to be the most uncomfortable things in existence. She had acted on some strange instinct calling Caleb and not Jester or Yasha or Fjord. She knows he’ll give her shit about it, but she also knows he won’t ask the hard questions. She slumps until she’s hardly sitting in the chair. Her phone is at 3% she uses the last dregs of her battery to try to beat the Fruit Ninja high score of some guy who calls himself **themeatman.** Douche. A few minutes after her phone finally conks out she notices that the security guard is snoring in his comfy chair behind the desk. A terrible idea starts to form, she sits up and looks around, there’s only one guard in the room and he is out cold. Glancing at the office door is doesn’t look like its locked so she stands up carefully, quietly, and waits, staring for a full minute at the sleeping form of the guard before removing her shoes and shuffling soundlessly over to the door and slipping out completely unnoticed. She walks outside and suddenly remembers how cold it is, she hadn’t noticed earlier. Now she is barefoot and shivering and fuck she did not think this through.

Meanwhile, as Caleb pedals the last half mile uphill to the campus security office he is making an itemized list of regrets. At the top of the list is the decision to not work a new coat into his budget this month, followed closely by not having a license or a car, the third spot on the list is tied between agreeing to this late night venture and not putting his phone on Do Not Disturb mode like he usually does. But all of those regrets instantly melt away when he sees Beau standing outside the office shivering holding a pair of beat-up flip-flops, her face is lined with frustration and obvious distress, and it looks like her hands are bandaged and bloody. The light on his bike has been broken for months so the only indication of his arrival is the slight creaking sound the bike makes as he leans it up against the flickering lamppost. 

“Beauregard are you alright?”

She is already walking toward him before he even gets off the bike. Her sharp senses were able to detect him even on a dark, starless night. 

“Hey man thanks for…coming to get me like this.”

He runs a hand through his unbrushed mop of ginger hair. It makes him look even more wild-eyed and sleep deprived than usual. 

“Ja ja, anytime Beauregard, although I would like to know what exactly happened?” 

She blows out all her breath watching as it freezes in the cold night air, knocks her forehead against the light post a few times for good measure before mumbling quickly under her breath. 

“Ipunchedatree”

“Was?”

“I PUNCHED A FUCKING TREE!”

Silence. And then a strange sound comes out of Caleb’s mouth. A light chuckle that expands into full hysterical laughter. 

“Are you laughing at me?” The question comes out sounding much less hurt and much more disbelieving. 

“N-No I just why, why were you punching a tree?”

“I don’t know I was just mad and…I just wanted to hit something, and the gym was closed so I…”

“Punched a tree?”

“Yeahhh okay so it wasn’t my greatest plan! But in my defense I didn’t think anyone would see or care and I-I picked a good spot out of sight from the dorms or the cafeteria, how the fuck was I supposed to know that there was a security camera on that side of the physics building, who would want to steal anything from the physics building?”

Caleb ignores that last question and looks down at her messily bandaged hands. 

“Who was hurt worse, you or the tree?”

She wraps the bandages a little tighter and tries to hide the smirk spreading across her face. 

“I don’t know man the tree looked pretty bad when I left it.”

“Was it shaking?”

She laughs rubbing her arms to fight the growing chill and distract herself from the lump rapidly forming in her throat.

“Quivering.”

He nods knowingly and immediately drops the subject. He understands what its like to need time to process things before talking them through.

“Well then we should get you back to the dorms so your roommates are not concerned about your sudden disappearance, unless you called them at 3am as well?”

A slight hint of an accusatory tone creeps in that Beau is pretty sure she deserves but she shrugs it off without too much thought.

“Ha no, Fjord would have chewed me out and Jester would have asked way too many questions and Molly would have found a way to make everything worse somehow. She imitates their flamboyant friend’s signature stance and ambiguous accent.

_“This one? Sane? Hell no, she’s crazy as the day is long take my word for it.”_

“Ah speaking of which do you no longer need me to speak on your behalf.”

“Yeah well maybe? But honestly I kinda just snuck out when the guard fell asleep soooo…”

Caleb sighs and looks up contemplating the black void hanging above them and once again questioning his choice of company before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“We will worry about that tomorrow I suppose.”

Wordlessly they both start walking toward the dormitories.

“You know you could stay on the couch if you don’t want to bike all the way back.”

“Ah well I would not want to worry Nott…”

“CALEB!”

The words had hardly left his mouth before he was assaulted by a small figure in a black hoodie that comes flying out of the dorm room and attaches itself to Caleb’s torso.

“Nott what are you doing here?”

“I woke up and you weren’t there! I called and you didn’t answer so I called Jester and she said you might be with Beau since she was missing too so she came over to pick me up and I’m just so glad you’re okay!”

He pats her head, hugging her close.

“I am fine, we are fine, I am sorry I scared you schatz.”

Fjord makes his way down the stairs with bedhead on full display and clears his throat. 

“Yer both welcome to stay since its real late or I’m sure Jester could drive you…”

Jester cuts him off.

“You guys should totally stay! It will be like a really awesome surprise sleepover!”

“Well I-I am not sure”.

“Pleaaaaasssssse?”

Jester is looking at him with those ridiculous wide violet eyes and Nott tugs on his shirt and whispers to him.

“It is really late Caleb it wouldn’t hurt to stay.”

Before he can respond Beau comes over and looks him dead in the eye.

“Yeah you know like I said before its late and cold and I feel bad for making you come all the way out here like this. You should stay.”

He recognizes the severity of her tone.

“Stay, Fjord will probably make breakfast or something.”

He looks around at all the friendly eager faces, catching Beau’s eye again and noting the sincerity in her gaze as well as the exhaustion on Nott’s face.

“That will be fine.”

Jester jumps up and down clapping her hands with an endearing excess of energy, Beau smirks, and Nott looks visibly relieved. Caleb shifts uncomfortably still standing in the doorway. 

Fjord smiles at them, sleepy but kind.

“Come on in I’ll go get some extra blankets.”


End file.
